Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Really?!!

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Today's "magical" spark coach lesson tried to get me to use the strategy of out of sight, out of mind. Put the trigger foods away where you can't see them constantly, every time you walk through the kitchen or open the refrigerator door, and you'll be less likely to partake.

Well, it didn't work when I was a kid. And it doesn't work now, either. And I believe that's the truth of the matter for most people, no matter whether you can't see the cookies in the cookie jar or not. You can leave them on the shelf at the store, or put the jar on the roof till you can stand it no more, and you know exactly where they are and what to do to get them.

It takes more than hiding them.

My brain is in a collective made up of all the cells in my body. And Collectively, THEY ALL KNOW right where the donuts are AND what to do to get them!!

THEY are smart enough that something as silly as putting the cookie jar on the roof will NOT fool them.

What DOES work? Trashing the offending treat has worked. Encouraging the little shredded wheat character to talk some sense into my collective cells has worked. Saying NO usually doesn't work because there's a challenge there somewhere. Offering a healthy alternative has worked.
Actually analyzing the nutritional value as if this monster were an adult has actually worked. Hm mmmm.

AUGUSTDRAGON
The best strategy for me is usually to just leave it a the store. I will confess there is a bag of chocolate chips in the cupboard waiting to be made into cookies. It's been there for a month now, still waiting. Remarkable! 1727 days ago

MARILYNROBERT
If it's in the house, I'll eat it. So the best thing to do is not buy it. But what I need is my own little shredded wheat guy. I'm going to have to get to work on that...gotta practice the self-talk...gotta give that little guy a voice. 1727 days ago

PAHOOT
I hear you. Although I think my recent detox did help somewhat. Somehow I became enamored with hummus and thought it to be the most tasteful thing on the planet. That's what happens when most of your other choices go away. Hehehehehe1727 days ago

JOYB19
Trigger food = ANYTHING WITH A SPECK OF CARBOHYDRATE IN IT!! Get that out of my sight??? When pigs fly! LOL!! Just have to use my brain more than my belly to choose what to eat. If only my brain didn't remember where it told my hands to put the bread and jam... *sigh*

BUSYBEE37
I'm forgetful, so it often works for me initially :) Then later I find the stuff when I'm searching for something else and it's back on my mind. So in the end, I guess it doesn't work all that well :D

I prefer to trash stuff or don't buy it to begin with. Today it was cheetoes and fritos that BF had opened. I don't need them and I don't need the mental aggrevation of thinking of them. They are on their way to the landfill where they belong.1729 days ago

JUSTYNA7
Agreed. The food monster has to be tamed... it is pretty smart if let loose. A long time ago one of the things that worked was "three meals a day and nothing in between" and I did a lot of prayer with that. I am sitting here having consumed 10 small treats that I put out for my family because they are meant to be eating gluten. I "thought it was a good idea' at the time to buy them... as I did the pie the other night. The truth... I said yes to the pie and now the food monster is released.. which means I cannot have those foods in the house. I was OK until I started trying to please other people. I am best with routine. Ah well. It is a bump in the road because here I am writing about it. In fact, I am meant to be writing today about a behaviour that I wish to change. I will call it the "I think I can" behaviour. The thought process that believes that I can have just one bite. It is the food monster that says those thoughts so ... I suppose I had best go and write about it and niggle it down so I can really understand what behaviour I want to change and what I want to replace it with. Thanks for your blog today, as I really needed it. Oh, I have my harp back but have not played it yet... I think I am nervous, hahaha.1729 days ago

TOI-TOI-TOI
It has never worked for me. I have to banish things from the house. I have problems then with splurging on things that my husband likes---peanut butter and crackers is a big one. And if I were to put something out of sight, then I would get obsessive about it! I'm like a dog with a bone or an elephant with a fantastic memory. Sometimes it can be a curse to have such a fine memory!1729 days ago

LESLIELENORE
If I buy it then I WILL eat it. So I just don't buy the junk most of the time. On rare occasions I will buy something with dubious nutritional value, but generally I don't anymore.1729 days ago